


Happy Returns

by theskywasblue



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Birthday, Childhood, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-13
Updated: 2010-06-13
Packaged: 2017-10-10 02:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/94576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theskywasblue/pseuds/theskywasblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gojyo tries to help Jien celebrate his birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Returns

Gojyo had flour all over his hands and face, and something – Jien really hoped it was icing – in his hair. All the windows in the main part of the house were open, letting out most, though not all of the smell of the smoke; Jien thanked the gods that the smell hadn't woke his mother and that nothing had actually caught fire, even if what was probably meant to be a cake was burnt to a crisp in the pan, completely unleavened and hard as a rock.

Jien took a deep breath, let it out slow.

"I'm sorry," Gojyo said automatically. He had probably been planning the whole thing, rehearsing it in his head from the minute smoke started funnelling out of the small gap in the oven door. "I'll clean it all up, you don't have to help me. I'll clean it, I _promise_."

Jien rubbed his hand – still half numb because he had been sleeping awkwardly, as he always did whenever he managed to actually sleep – over his face, and bit down on the inside of his cheek, "Gojyo…"

Gojyo turned his eyes to the floor. There was flour spilled there too, a streak of it, cut through by a foot print, "I just wanted to surprise you is all. I got the recipe from one of mom's books and I went out yesterday to get all the stuff while you were at work…but I messed it up."

He looked up, just a glance, eyes big and wet, lower lip trembling just slightly though he was too old for breaking into tears at the drop of a hat – not that he ever really had. Jien reached out and wiped a smudge of flour from Gojyo's cheek.

"Hey, I'm surprised, alright? I just hope you don't expect me to eat that."

Gojyo pulled a face and laughed, relief ringing through his voice as clear as a bell, "It's still gooey inside. But the icing turned out okay."

Jien knew about five different ways to deal with the mess. Flour and icing and egg shells cleaned up real easy, much easier than all the other messes he was used to dealing with on any given day.

But this wasn't any given day, it was his birthday, and he sure as hell didn't feel like starting his morning cleaning flour off the kitchen floor. Instead, he pulled out the nearest chair and dropped into it, yawning.

"Well, bring it here then. And grab two spoons – because if I eat the whole bowl by myself, I'll be sick."

-End-


End file.
